Niwa Nagashige, the eldest son of the loyal general Niwa Nagahide under Oda Nobunaga, entered the realm of warfare at the tender age of 12. His initial taste of battle occurred alongside his father during the confrontation against Shibata Katsuie under Toyotomi Hideyoshi at the Battle of Shizugatake. In the following year, at the age of 13, Nagashige stepped into the shoes of his ailing father and led the Niwa army at the Battle of Komaki-Nagakute.
Tragedy struck at the age of 14 when Niwa Nagashige found himself thrust into the position of the head of the Niwa clan and in charge of his father's extensive 1,230,000 koku estates following Nagahide's passing. While Nagashige's father was wed to an adopted daughter of their master, Oda Nobunaga, Nagashige's union was with Ho-onin, the actual 5th daughter of Nobunaga.
The shifting tides of power and alliances brought challenges to Nagashige's legacy. Accused of treachery during the 1585 attacks on the Toyama region, Toyotomi Hideyoshi demoted Nagashige from 1,230,000 koku to a mere 150,000 koku. Further setbacks occurred two years later during the Kyushu subjugation, with Nagashige's income reduced to a meager 40,000 koku. However, his valor at the Siege of Odawara led Hideyoshi to restore his fortunes, elevating his income to 120,000 koku.
Remaining loyal to the Toyotomi clan, Nagashige aligned himself with the Western forces under Ishida Mitsunari at the Battle of Sekigahara. This alliance resulted in the loss of his daimyo status and possessions. Recognizing Nagashige's value, Tokugawa Ieyasu granted him 10,000 koku and land at Futsuto in present-day Ibaragi Prefecture in 1603. The Niwa family name was fully reinstated after Nagashige's exemplary service in the Battles of Osaka in 1614 and 1615, where he fought under Tokugawa colors. He received lands at Edosaki along with 20,000 koku, followed by an increase to 50,000 koku and the Tanakura (Fukushima) Domain in 1622. In 1627, he was transferred to Shirakawa in modern-day Fukushima Prefecture, earning 100,700 koku. During his tenure, he expanded and reconstructed Komine Castle.
Niwa Nagashige breathed his last on April 30, 1637, just shy of his 66th birthday. His final resting place is at the Enmei-ji Temple in Shirakawa, Fukushima Prefecture, a testament to his enduring legacy in Japanese history.
See also
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Oda Nobutada
Oda Nobutada (1557 – June 21, 1582) was a samurai and the eldest son of Oda Nobunaga, known for his active role in several battles during Japan's Sengoku period. He led armies under his father's command in campaigns against Matsunaga Hisahide and the Takeda clan.
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Imagawa Ujizane
Imagawa Ujizane (1538 – January 27, 1615) was a Japanese daimyō who lived through the Sengoku and early Edo periods. He became the tenth head of the Imagawa clan, following in the footsteps of his father, Imagawa Yoshimoto. Ujizane was the father of Imagawa Norimochi and Shinagawa Takahisa.
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Hojo Ujiyasu
Hojo Ujiyasu (1515 – October 21, 1571), the third head of the Odawara Hojo clan, was a formidable daimyo known as the "Lion of Sagami." Revered as a fearsome samurai and brilliant strategist, he became famous for successfully breaking sieges by renowned warlords Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin. Ujiyasu was the son of Hojo Ujitsuna, and his only known wife was Zuikei-in, sister of Imagawa Yoshimoto. Among his children were Hojo Ujimasa and Uesugi Kagetora.
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Hojo Ujimasa
Hojo Ujimasa (1538 – August 10, 1590) was the fourth leader of the later Hojo clan and the daimyo of Odawara. He continued his father Hojo Ujiyasu's policy of territorial expansion, achieving the largest territorial holdings in the clan's history.
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Uesugi Kagetora
Uesugi Kagetora (1552 – April 19, 1579) was the seventh son of Hojo Ujiyasu and was originally known as Hojo Saburo. He was adopted by Uesugi Kenshin and intended to be Kenshin's heir. However, in 1578, he was attacked in his Otate Castle by Uesugi Kagekatsu, his brother-in-law, and was ultimately defeated. Kagetora committed suicide the following year at Samegao Castle.
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Hojo Ujinao
Hojo Ujinao (1562 – December 19, 1591) was a Japanese daimyo of the late Sengoku period and the last leader of the Later Hojo clan. An important figure in Azuchi-Momoyama politics, he lost his entire domain following the Siege of Odawara (1590). Despite this, he survived, and his family continued as minor daimyo during the Edo period.
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Takeda Katsuyori
Takeda Katsuyori (1546 – April 3, 1582) was a Japanese daimyo of the Sengoku period, renowned as the head of the Takeda clan and successor to the legendary warlord Takeda Shingen. He was also the son-in-law of Hojo Ujiyasu. Katsuyori was born to Shingen and the daughter of Suwa Yorishige, known posthumously as Suwa-goryonin and by her real name, Koihime. His children included Takeda Nobukatsu and Takeda Katsuchika.
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Yasuke
Yasuke, an African page, arrived in Japan in 1579 as the attendant of the Italian Jesuit missionary Alessandro Valignano. Before the arrival of the Englishman William Adams, it is thought that Yasuke was possibly the inaugural non-Japanese samurai, arriving about twenty years earlier.
